Vacuum filling machine



A. 1. GOSSELI N. VACUUM FILLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. H, 19!].

Patented Maylfi, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. J. GOSSELIN.

VACUUM FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION men JAN. 11. 1917.

Patented May 16, 11922.

5 SHEETSSHEET 2.

W k 7 NJ Q MS N Y O A. J. GOSSELIN. VACUUM FILLING MACHINE.

194L16D3%50 APPLICATION FILED JANIHI 1917' 169 5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. II, I9I7. 1 ,416,345

A. J. 'GOSSELIN.

VACUUM FILLING MACHINE. I

Patented May 16, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

A. J. GOSSELIN.

VACUUM FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.1I, I917.

1,416,34L5, Patented May 16, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

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ALPHONSE JQGOSSELIN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD AUTO- MATIC MACHINE COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION. OF

NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1922.,

Application filed January 11, 1917. Serial No. 141,805.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, ALPHONSE J. GOSSELIN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Rochester, county of Monroe, State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Vacuum Filling Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts in each of the several views.

This invention relates to filling and stoppering apparatus adapted for filling bottles.

or like containers with material in liquid form and applying a suitable closure to the filled containers. \Vhere the term bottle is used herein it. is to be understood as merely illustrative and intended to typify any receptacle or container adapted to be handled by the mechanism described, and where the term stopper is employed it is intended to include any closure member adapted for use with the described mechanism. A prime object of the invention is to proved mechanism adapted to fill bottles wit-h liquid material by the action of suction alone and in a manner so that no valve or lik controlling elements are required. A

further object is to provide an improved construction of suction head for application to the bottle for simultaneously creating a suction therein and supplying the liquid filling material thereto. A further object is to provideimproved means for measuring and varying the quantity of filling materialsupplied to a bottle at each operation. A further important object is to provide improved mechanism for stoppering the bottles, mounted in operative combination with the filling mechanism along with improved transfer mechanism adapted to deliver the bottles automatically to the filling devices, thence to tie liver the same to the stoppering apparatus and thence to discharge the same to a suitable delivery point. The foregoing and other objects and features of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be thereafter pointed out in'the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

F ig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention;

provide im- Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical section approximately on line 33 of Fig. 1, and with parts shown in elevation;

Figs. 8 and 3 are views of the mounting for a pusher bar.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial plan view showing the stoppering turret with the conveyor delivery thereto, parts being broken away;

Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation at one end of the apparatus; and

Fig. 7 is a partial end view from the same end showing the belt driving pulleys, portions being sectioned away.

Figure 8 is a detail view of one side of the cam 48.

Figure 9 is a detail view of the other side of the cam 48.

Figure 10 is a top plan view of the train of gears for driving the shaft 10.

The bottles Bare placed by hand or in any other suitable way on a taut belt 1 which extends the length of the machine, passing around an idler drum 2 suitably journalled at 3 in an upright 4 at one end of the machine and passing around a driving drum 5 rotatably mounted on a shaft 6 which is journalled as seen at 7 in brackets 8 at the other end of the machine. The shaft 6 has fixed thereon a sprocket wheel 8 driven by a sprocket chain 9 from a similar sprocket wheel on a power shaft suitably journalled trans versely in the lower part of the machine frame work and further described later. Means is provided whereby the conveyor belt 1 is operated with an intermittent movement so that when a quota of bottles is delivered to the filling mechanism, there is a dwell in the belt movement as the bottles are transferred from the belt for filling. For this purpose I provide an-internal gear formation 11 in the drum 5, the teeth of which are engageable by a spring pressed detent 12 carried in an arm 13 fixed to the shaft 6, said detent having a laterally projecting roller pin 14 engageable by a curved cam guard 15 extending partly, as shown about one half,

' of each revolution of the shaft and to allow said detent to engage a gear tooth to move the drum through the other half of each revolution. It will be understood that the dimension of the drum 5 may be proportioned'with reference to the size of the bottles being handled so that this half revolution will feed forward a predetermined number of bottles on the belt 1 to the filling station.

'As shown in Fig. 1. the diameter of the drum is about equal to the length of the platen and a halfrevolution of the drum will draw the belt 1 forward about 50%v further than the length of the platen. This excess of motion isv provided so that the bottles may be brought into close order opposite the platen, it being understood that the bottles are placed on the belt in loose or open order and are brought into close order when the forward movement of the bottles is arrested by the stop 33. It will also be understood that the belt is made smooth, without cleats, so that when the forward movement of any of the bottles is arrested, the belt may slide under them as they are brought into close order. This insures the placing of a sufficient number of bottles in close order op posite the platen to fill the platen. Means is provided whereby as the bottles reach the filling station they are shifted transversely from the conveyor belt 1 underneath the filler heads. For this purpose I provide a pusher plate 16 carried by a slide 17 mounted to move in transverse horizontal ways 18 of the frame work. The slide 1? is operated through a link 19 by a lever 20 fulcrumed to the frame work at 21 having at its other end a link 22 formed with a rack 23 at its inner portion engaged by a pinion 2t journalled in the frame work, and having rigid therewith another pinion 25 engaged by a rack 26- mounted to slide vertically in the frame work and having at its lower end a roll 27'operable in a cam groove 28 of a gear wheel fixed on shaft 29. The shaft 29 is driven by a gear 29', keyed thereon from a pinion 29 =keyed to the shaft 10. Also keyed to the shaft 10 is a gear 29 which in turn is driven by a pinion 29 which in turn is driven by a gear 29 the pinion 29 and gear 29 both being fastened together on a sleeve which rotates loosely on the shaft 29. The gear 29 is driven by an idler gear 29, which in turn is driven by the pinion 30 on the armature shaft of the motor 31. It will be understood that the cam groove 28 is so arranged, and the wheel whereon it is formed so geared for driving, that the pusher plate 16 is operated in proper timed relation to the other mechanisms to be now describedf The advance end of the pusher plate 16 is equipped with a laterally extending flange 32 adapted to hold back the line of bottles as the quota ahead of the pusher plate 16 is being pushed laterally from the belt. Lateral guides 34 may also be provided at the sides of the belt 1 to guide the bottles as they are advanced along said belt. The quota of bottles to be filled is thus pushed by the pusher plate 16 transversely from the belt 1 on to an elevating platform 35. Each end of this platform or platen is provided with a. stop 35 and 35 by which the bottles are guided as they move onto the platen and are held in place thereon. This platform is carried and lifted at the proper intervals and heldelevated for the filling operation by a slide bar 36 guided for vertical movement in the frame work as indicated at 37 and having an operating connection through a link 38 and lever 39 fulcrumed to the frame work at 4:0. The lever 39 is in turn operated through a link 41 which is adjustable relative'to the fulcrum of said lever in an elongated slot -12 thereof and likewise adjustable in a similar elongated slot 43 of an operating'lever 4-1 which is fulcrumed to the frame work at 45 and has rigid therewith an angularly extending arm 46 bearing at its end a roller pin 47 90 which works in a cam path t8 of a cam wheel fixed on shaft 29. The quota of bottles to be filled resting on the platform 35 are thus lifted to filling position and the extent of such lift may be varied according to the requirements of the particular bottles being handled, by adjustment of the link 41 in the slots 42, 43, the extent of lift required being of course determined by the height'of the bottles being handled. The 100 starting point of the platen may be adjusted up or down with reference to the belt by moving one end of the link 41 so that instead of standing vertically it stands on an incline. This link may stand in any posi--105 tion necessary to hold the platen at the starting point on a level with the belt. By shifting one or both ends of thelink boththe starting point and the lengtho f the movement of the platen may be varied at will. 1 0

The cam 48 is designed to rotate about 36 in the lifting of the platen, to hold the platen up during about 200 of the rotation while the bottles are being filled, to rotate 36 while the platen is being lowered and to ro- 1 5 tate about 88 while the platen remains at rest in its lowest position on a level with the. belt. The platen starts to lift before the forward movement of the belt begins to bring on a fresh supply of bottles and the belt travels further than merely the length of the platen in each operation. This is apparent from Figures 1, 6 and 7, Figure 6 showingthat the driving pulley 5 will m'ake' substantially a half revolution for each operation of the machine so that the belt will be carried forward more than one and onehalf times the diameter of the pulley or onehalf of its circumference or a distance nearly double the length of the platen. This would carry the first bottle beyond the platen except for the fact that it is arrested by the fixed member 33 and held in correct position opposite the platen while the belt slides under. it and brings the following bottles which may be spaced apart up into close order against the first bottle. This enables the operator to put bottles on the belt rapidly in open or closed order and the travel of the belt for each filling operation is utilized to bring the bottles together in close order and in correct position opposite the platen so that when they are transferred to the platen the center of the bottles will register with the centers of the nozzles and the nozzle guides. Before the belt begins to move forward the platen raises so that a bottle cannot be carried over the edge of the platen and so that the raised platen will act as a continuation of the guide 34 which holds the bottles in line on the belt. The bottles thus lifted, first have the necks thereof projected through openings 49 of spring pusher bars 50 which are slidably fitted to a filler head 51 and each of said bars pushed downward by spring 52 so as to hold the bottles securely as they are pushed upward thereagainst. As the bottles reach this elevated position vacuum or air nozzles 53 slide into the necks thereof, these nozzles havinglannular backing plugs 54: of soft rubber or the like at their upper ends adapted to tightly close the bottle neck as the bottle reaches'its limit of upward movement. The vacuum nozzles 53 communicate through a passage 55 of the filler head 51 and pipes 56 with a vacuum chamber 57. The filler head is perforated with the passages for each air and liquid nozzle as is shown in section in Fig. 3. These passages come together in the block and are'separated by the nozzles which are threaded and for which, threaded seats are provided in the block. For the small nozzle 61 a small threaded seat is provided at the top of the combined passages and-lower down a large threaded seat is provided for the nozzle 53. .The threaded end of the small nozzle 61 isinserted into its seat through the seat for the nozzle 53 which. seat is made large enough to let it pass by. This permits the ready removal and insertion of the nozzles permitting the use of interchangeable nozzles. The vacuum chamber 57 consists preferably of a glass fish bowl which rests on a seat- 100 which is made as a casting having integral therewith a manifold opening 101 therein which opens at one end into the seat so as to communicate with the vacuum chamber 57 and outside of the dome is provided with a series of openings one for each pipe 56 which communicats with the air suction nozzle. To the opening 101 thegoose neck 102 is attached. The seat is also provided with an opening to which the liquid drain 57 connects and an opening for the air suction pipe 58 which extends up into the dome. Vacuum is created in this chamber 57 by withdrawal of the air through a pipe 58 leading from near the top of said chamber to a suction pump 59 which may be operated by a suitable belt connection 60 from the motor 31. The suction thus created draws the liquid filling material through tubes liquid nozzles 61 which project downward from the filler head 51 within the respective suction nozzles 53, these tubes 61 being of a size to leave a very limited annular space between them and inner walls of the suction tubes 53 The filler tubes 61 communicate through passages 62 of the filler head 51 with tubes 63 which are mounted so that their lower ends 64 depend somewhat within a tank 65 containing the liquid filling material which may be supplied thereto from a pipe 66 with an automatic float control 67 adapted to keep the liquid in said tank at a predetermined level which is preferably and in the present embodiment of the invention some little below the lower ends of the pipes 63. In the tank 65 and beneath each of the tube ends 64 for cooperation with the respective tubes 63 I mount a series of vertically elongated buckets 68, these being mounted for lifting movement on a horizontal bar 69 which is adjustably mounted on a vertically extending bar 7 0 having its upper end slidably guided in a fixed arm 71 of the frame work and having operative pivotal connection 7 2 at its lower end with an extension 73 of the lever arm 44; so that the buckets 68 are thus lifted periodically by the operation of the cam 48 so that the lower ends of the tubes 63 are projected into the liquid material to be drawn upwardtherethrough by suction. It will be noted that the amount of the liquid material thus drawn up from each bucket into the respective bottles may be varied as desired by varying the distance through which the bucket is lifted which result is secured by shifting the link 41. When the bucketsare lifted, the suction tube 63 remains stationary and the liquid will be drawn off only to the extent that the end of the suction tube is immersed in the liquid in the bucket and if the bucket has been raised a short distance only, a small amount of liquid will be drawn off into the bottles and if the bucket has been raised the full distance, all of the contents of the bucket will be drawn off into the bottles, it being understood that the buckets are filled from the top by the surrounding liquid in the tank and not from the bottom. I attach special importance to the relative dimension of the inner tube 61 through which the material passes, and the suction nozzles 53; it is possible to'have a relatively restricted annular passage between the tube 61 and the nozzle 53; so proportioned that while the air may 1361 be drawn out with suficient rapidityto create the suction, as soon as the bottle is filled the annular passage in question is too restricted to permit any appreciable passage of theliquid. Any minute portions of liquid that may be sucked upward will be caught in the chamber 57 and may be drained ofi in any suitable manner as by a pipe 5'7 shown as having air tight connection with a bottle 57". The quota of bottles being thus filled, the platform 35 is again lowered by the operation of roll 417 and cam 48, and as this occurs the bottles are disengaged from the plugs 5t and held to move downward on the platform not only by their own gravity but also by the expansive action of the springs 52 exerted on the presser bars 50 against the tops of 'the bottles. As each quota of bottles are thus again lowered into horizontal alinement with the belt 1 they are pushed laterally 09' the platform 35 and on to a conveyor belt 7 4: by the next quota delivered on to said platform by the pusher plate 16. The belt 7 t is a continuously run: ning one mounted at one end on an idle drum 75 journalled as indicated at 76 at one end of the machine and mounted at its other end on a driving drum '77 fixed on the shaft 6. The filled bottles thus advanced by the conveyor belt 74 are pushedagainst the periphery of a rotary carrier 78 fixed on a vertical shaft 79 journalled in the frame work as seen at 80, there being a fixed upof. which are'engageable by a dog 85 carried by a slide 86 fitted to ways 87 of the frame work, said slide having a link connection 88 to an eccentric operating device 89 fixed on the shaft 10. The dog 85 which is pivotally mounted as indicated at 90 has a pin engag ing beak with a beveled end- 91 adapted to slip past the pinson the backward movement and to engage one thereof on the forward movement to turn the carrier 78 one step at each movement. The carrier 78 is provided with a series shown as six of spaced apart depending bottle receiving pockets 92, these of course corresponding in number to the pins of the pin wheel 84;, and the operating connections being proportioned so that at each ste movement of said carrier, one of said poc ets comes 1nto reglster with the llne of bottles on the belt 7% so that the foremost bottle is pushed forward into said pocket.

Thereupon on the next step movement of the carrier, its periphery holds back the rest of the bottle line, the belt 7 4: then slipping beneath the bottles, while the bottle deposited in the pocket 92 is held in said pocket as the carrier advances by a fixed curved peripheral guard 93. The step movement thus imparted to the carrier 78 brings the bottle in the pocket 92 directly beneath a stoppering plunger 91 adjustably carried as seen at 95 on a slide bar 96 fitted to slide vertically in ways 97 of the frame work and havi a link connection 98 to a lever 99 fulcrume to the frame at 100 and having a roll 101 at its other end engageable in a cam path 102 formed in a cam disc fixed on the shaft 10. At the top of the carrier 7 8 a stopper carrying disc 103 is provided, having a series of yielding stopper holders 10st normally spring pressed upward and held by retaining plates 105. The stoppers 8 may be placed in the flaring tops of passages 106 of these holders and as the plunger 91 descends the stopper is pushed through said passage into the bottle neck and securely seated therein. Thereupon as the plunger 9t is lifted in the continuous cycle of operation, the bottle is further advanced by the next step in the turning of the carrier until it comes again into alinement with the. belt 74 where the guard 93 is bent back as indicated at 107 to permit the corked bottle to be again deposited on the belt, from the end of which it may be delivered in any required manner. The operative reach of the belt 741 is supported on a suitable platform as indicated at 108 and suitable means may be provided for adjusting the tension of said belt such as is indicated by the adjusting screws 109 which are passed through lugs in the framework and engagesliding bars 110 which support the bearings of the idle drum 75. The sliding bars 110 are locked in place by the cap screws 111 shown in Fig. 1.

An important distinguishing characteristic of the present invention is the capability of the machine for'filling bottles or other containers rapidly and automatically by a suction or vacuum system that entirelydispenses with valves or like passage controllers likely to be clogged up and make trouble. lit is of course to be understood that the machine is not limited to the use of any particular nu'mber'of filling nozzleson the filling head 51, or even to the use of a single filler head; since these elements can readily be adapted for filling any desired number of bottles within a wide ran e, at a single operation in the manner scribed. The stoppering turret may of course be timed to operate ata proper rate to handle the bottles as filled and delivered by the filling mechanism whatever the rate of filling may be. 1 am aware that the invention in these as well as other respects may be embodied in other s ecific forms than the one chosen for exhi ition there in, and 1 therefore desire'the present embodiment to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the forethe invention.

Having described my invention,- what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent is: K

1. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising a filling station equipped with means for filling bottles, a smooth conveyor belt connected to move intermittently for delivering bottles adjacent said station, means for holding the bottles while the belt passes under them, means for pushing a quota of bottles laterally from said belt to a position beneath said filling means, a lifting platform in position to receive the bottles so delivered, means for operating said platform to raise the bottles to filling position, a second conveyor belt in position to receive the bottles as pushed from said platform by an oncom ing quota, stoppering mechanism mounted in position to receive the bottles delivered by the last named belt, and operative mechanism connected to operate all of said parts in mutually timed relation.

2. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising a filling station equipped with means for filling bottles. means for pushing a quota of bottles from a position at one side of said station to a filling position underneath said filling means, a conveyor arranged in position to receive the bot-tles as pushed from said filling position by an oncoming quota, stoppering mechanism mounted to receive the bottles as delivered by said conveyor, and means for operating saidstoppering mechanism and said filling means in timed relation.

3. Apparatus of the kind described. comprising a filling station equipped with means for filling bottles, means for pressing aquota of bottles from a position at one side of said filling means to a filling position thereunder, a continuously moving conveyor belt in position to receive the bottles as pushed from said filling position by an oncoming quota, a stoppering turret having bottle receiving pockets arranged to receive the bottles from said conveyor belt, a stoppering plunger cooperative with said turret, and means'for operating said turret and said stoppering plunger in timed relation with said pushing means at the filling station.

4. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising a filling station equipped with means for filling bottles, means for delivering bottles to a position at one side of said station. means for pushing a quota of bottles to a position underneath said filling means, means for lifting said quota of bottles to filling position and then lowering the same after being filled, a conveyor belt mounted in position to receive the bottles as pressed laterally from said lifting means by an on coming quota, a turret connected for rota-.

tion and equipped with bottle receiving pockets mounted in position for said pockets to receive the bottles from said conveyor without interfering with the movement of the belt, said pusher moving a given number of bottles from a continuous row of bottles laterally from the belt to the platen and means for stopping an excess of bottles with the quota in a continuous row on the moving belt adjacent to the platen.

6. In a machine, the combination of a smooth belt, a platen placed at the side of said belt, a pusher arm for moving "bottles laterally sfrom the belt to the platen, means for stopping the bottles opposite the platen without interfering with the movement of the belt, and means for raising the platen, said pusher moving a given number of hottles from a continuous row of bottles laterally from the belt to the platen and means for stopping an excess of bottles with the quota in a continuous row on the moving belt adjacent to the platen.

7. In a machine, the combination of a smooth belt, a platen placed at the side of said belt, a pusher arm for moving bottles laterally from the belt to the platen and means for moving the belt intermittently under the bottles more than'the length of the platen to bring the bottles in close order opposite the platen.

8. In a machine, the combination of a smooth belt, a platen placed at the side of said belt, a pusher arm for moving bottles laterally from the belt to the platen, means for moving the belt intermittently under the bottles more than the length of the platen to bring the bottles in close order opposite the platen. and means for moving the pusher arm while the belt is at rest.

9. In a machine, the combination of a. smooth belt, a platen placed at the side of said belt, a pusher arm for moving bot-tles laterally from the belt to the platen while the belt is at rest and means for raising the vices, a smooth belt traveling intermittently at the side of said platen, and means for transferring bottles fromsaid belt to said platen, means for stopping the bottles and putting them in close order on the belt opposite the platen, the belt approaching the platen being several times the length of the platen.

11.- In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a smooth platen, bottle filling devices placed over the platen, means for raising the platen to bring bottles placed thereon in connection with said bottle filling devices, a belt traveling at the side of said platen, means for transferring bottles from said belt to said platen, and means for moving said belt intermittently, means for stopping the bottles and putting them in close order on the belt opposite theplaten, the belt approaching the platen being several times the length of the platen.

12. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a smooth platen, bottle filling devices placed over the platen. means for raising the platen to bring bottles placed thereon in connection with said bottle filling -devices, a smooth belt traveling at the side of said platen, means for transferring bottles from said belt to said platen, and means for moving said belt intermittently, said belt being at rest during the transfer 'of the bottles, means for stopping the bottles and putting them in close order onthe belt opposite the platen, the belt approaching the platen being several times the length of the platen.

13. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a belt capable of receiving bottles placed thereon, a platen adjacent to the belt for holding the bottles in line with the belt and a stop for bringing them into close order on the belt, means for transferring a predeterminednumber of bottles from the belt to the platen, and means for raising the platen after said transfer.

It. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a platen, a smooth belt traveling at the side of said platen, said belt being equal to carrying a row of bottles thereon said bottles being held in line on the belt by the platen, and means for removing bottles selected thereby from the belt to the platen.

15. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a platen, parallel smooth belts traveling on the opposite sides of said platen. means for transferring bottles from one of said belts to said platen and for there-' after transferring said bottles from the platen to the other belt, means for causing the first namedjbelt to slide under the bottles to close up the bottles in close order, said-belt moving intermittently a distance exceeding the length of the platen.

16. i In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a platen, parallel smooth belts traveling on the opposite sides of said platen, means for transferring bottles from one of said belts to said platen, and for thereafter transferring said bottles from the platen to the other belt, and means for driving said first-named belt intermittently.

17. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a platen, parallel smooth belts traveling on the opposite sides of said platen, means for transferring bottles from one of said belts to said platen, and for thereafter transferring said bottles from the platen to the other belt, means for driving said first-named belt intermittently, said platen being normally in the same plane with'the belt when it is at rest, means for raising the platen when said belt is in motion. I

18. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a smooth platen, bottle filling devices above said platen, means for conveying bottles to said platen, and for conveying bottles away from said platen, said means delivering the bottles to the platen in close order, said conveying means having an intermittent movement each moveproduced in the bottle and operating to draw a from the bottle all liquid fed into it beyond a predetermined height, means for trapping and saving the excess. liquid, said means comprising a glass dome closed at the bottom by a plate having a draln therein, the liquid discharge pipe and the air suction pipe extending up into the dome through said plate.

20. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a stationary downwardly extending liquid nozzle and air nozzle arranged concentric therewith, and pipes leading thereto, both of said air-and liquid nozzles and the pipes leading to them being permanently open through their entire length and a supply tank therefor located below the receptacle being filled.

21. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of an air and liquid nozzle adapted to produce a flow of liquid and a continuous suction of air with packing surrounding said nozzle, means for bringing said packing and the mouth of the bottle closely together with the air and liquid nozzle inserted into the bottle from above, and means for thereafter separating the bottle and the packing, a tank from which the bottles are filled by suction, said tank being located goose-neck, a drain under said goose-neck a dome over said goose-neck and drain, an

means for produclng suction in said dome, said nozzle bein vacuum and liquld supply, both during and between the filling operations.

23. In a bottle fillingmachine, the combination of a nozzle adapted to produce a flow of liquid and a suction of air, air connections from said nozzle having a discharge opening a drain under said discharge opening, a dome over said discharge opening and drain, and means for producing suction in said dome, said nozzle being continuously open to the vacuum and liquid supply, both during and bet-ween the filling operations.

24. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of means that'are continually open,

for flowing liquid into upright bottles,

means for causing the bottles to start and "named means together and taking them apart to start and stop the flow, a tank from which the bottles are filled by suction, said tank being'located below the bottles.

25. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a platform capable of receiving a plurality of bottles thereon in a single row, a smooth belt traveling intermittently at the side of the platform, each movement of the belt being longer than the length of the platform, and means for transferring the bottles from said belt to said platform.

26. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a platform capable of receiving a plurality of bottles thereon in a single row. a smooth belt traveling intermittently at the side of the platform, each movement of the belt being longer than the length of the platform, means for transferring the bottles from said belt to said platform, a stop for arresting the bottles on the belt oppositethe platform while the belt is in motlon.

27. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of means for filling bottles by vacuum, means for measuring the quantity of liquid supplied to each bottle independent of the size of the bottle to be filled said measuring devices being normally contained in and vertically movable in the supply tank.-

28. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of means for filling bottles by vacuum, a series of receptacles holding a liquid supply, one for each bottle to be filled, from which the liquid is drawn for filling the bottles, a suction tube extending down into each receptacle, means for raising or lowering said receptacle with reference to the suction tube to vary the quantity of liquid drawn into the bottles.

29. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a downwardly extending liquid continuously open to the nozzle and air nozzle arranged concentric therewith and pipes leading thereto, both of said air and liquid nozzles and the pipes leading to them being permanently open through their entire length, a tank from which "the bottles are filled by suction, said tank being located below the bottles.

30. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a smooth platen, bottle filling devices placed over'the platen, means for causing relative movement between bottles placedon the platen and bottle filling devices to bring them together, a smooth belt traveling intermittently at the side of said platen, means for transferring bottles from said belt to said platen, and means for stopping the bottles and puttingthem in close order on the belt opposite the platen, the belt approaching the platen being several times the length of the platen;

31. In an apparatus for filling bottles, the combination of a supply reservoir, delivery tubes, tubular connections between the same and the supply reservoir, an overflow receptacle, a pipe leading therefrom having branches extending to the lower ends of the respective delivery tubes and adjacent thereto, an adjustable support for the bottles, means for raising said supportand thereby bringing the end of one of said delivery tubes and one of said branches into the mouth of each bottle, means for exhausting the air from the overflow receptacle and cmating a vacuum in said branches, bottles, de-

livery tubes and connections therefrom to the supply reservoir, whereby the filling ma-* nation of a platen, a bottle filling device placed over the platen, means for raising the platen to bring a bottle placed thereon in connection with said bottle filling device, a

belt adjacent to said platen, means for adjusting said platen up and down with respect to the belt, means for keeping the inside of the bottle below atmospheric pressure at times while in contact with the filling device.

34. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a smooth platen, bottle filling devices placed over the platen, means for causing relative movement between bottles placed on the platen and bottle filling devices to ,bring them together, a smooth belt traveling intermittently at the side of said platen, means for transferring bottles from said belt to said platen, means for stopping the bottles and putting them in close order on the belt opposite the platen, the belt approaching the platen being several times the length of the platen, means for transferring rows of bottles from said platen to a corking device, and means -tor driving corks into said bottles. p

35. In a. bottle filling machine, the combination ofa smooth platen, a bottle filling device placed over the platen, means for causing relative movement between a bottle placed on the platen and bottle filling device to bring them together, a smooth belt traveling intermittently at the side of said platen, means for transferring a bottle from said belt to said platen, means for stopping the bottles and putting them inclose order on the belt opposite the platen, the belt approaching the platen being several times the length of the platen, means for transferring a bottle from said platen to a corking device. and means for driving a cork into said bottle.

36. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a. smooth platen, a belt for feeding bottles to one side of the-platen, a belt for conveying bottles from the other side of I the platen, said belts running parallel to each other and substantially in contact with the edges of the platen, means for movin bottles from the first named belt to the further edge of the platen and leaving them in that position, filling devices placed over the platen for filling the bottles in said position.

37. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of means continually open, operat ing to fill-bottles by producing a vacuum in the bottles to be filled; said means preventing the flow of liquid into the bottle unless a vacuum is produced in the bottle and operating to draw from the bottle all liquid fed into it beyond a. predetermined height,

means for trapping and saving the \excess liquid, said continually open means including downwardly extending nozzles capable of filling a bottle in an upright position.

38. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of downwardly extending means continually open, operating to fill bottles by producing a vacuum in the bottles to be filled, said means preventing the flow of liquid into the bottle unless a vacuum is produced in the bottle and operating to draw from the bottle all liquid fed into it beyond a predetermined height, means/tor trapping and saving the excess liquid, a supply tank below the filling devices from which the liquid is drawn into the bottles from the sup ply tank.

39. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of asmooth platen, bottle I 1 1 devices placed over the platen, means for caus-' ing relative movement between bottles placed on the platen and bottle filling devices to bination of a beltand a platen, bottle filling devices placed over the platen, said platen being adjustable up and down with respect to the belt, adjustable means for raising the platen variable distances to bring bottles placed thereon in connection with said bottle filling devices.

t1. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of ablock, air and liquid passages in said block, nozzles extending down from said passages, and a centering device carried by said block and concentric with said noz: zles, said centering device being adapted to act on the sloping neck of the bottle to move the bottle laterally.

42. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a block, air and liquid passages in said block, nozzles extending down from said passages, and a centering device carried by said block and concentric with said nozzles,

said centering device being adapted to act on the sloping neck of the bottle to move the bottle laterally, adjustable means to limit thedownward movement of the centering once.

43. In a bottlefilling machine, the combination of a block, air and liquid passages in said block, nozzles extending down from said passages, a centering device carried by said block and concentric with said nozzles, said centering device being adapted to act on the sloping neck of the bottle to move the bottle laterally, means for yieldingly supporting said centering device.

4A. In an apparatus for filling bottles, the

\ combination of a supply reservoir, dellverys tubes, connections between the same and the supply reservoir, an overflow receptacle, a pipe leading therefrom having branches extendingto the lower ends of the respective delivery tubes and adjacent thereto, means for moving. said nozzles and bottles relative to each other to bring the end of one of said delivery tubes and one of said branches intothe mouth of each bottle, means for exhaust ing the air from the overflow receptacle and creating a vacuum in said branches, bottles, delivery tubes and connections therefrom to the supply reservoir, whereby the filling material is drawn into the bottles by suction and any surplus is drawn from the delivery tubes into said branches and conveyed directly to the overflow receptacle.

45'. In an apparatus for filling bottles, the

theses combination of a supply reservoir, delivery tubes, connections between the same and the supply reservoir, an overflow receptacle, a pipe leading therefrom having branches extending to the lower ends of the respective delivery tubes and adjacent thereto, means for moving said nozzles and bottles relative to each other to bring the end of one of said delivery tubes and one of said branches into the mouth of each bottle, means for exhausting the air from the overflow receptacle and creating a vacuum in said branches, bottles, delivery tubes and connections therefrom to the supply reservoir, whereby the filling material is drawn into the bottles by suction and any surplus is drawn from the delivery tubes into said branches and conveyed directly to the overflow receptacle, and means for removing the excess liquid from the overflow receptacle.

46. In an apparatus for filling bottles, the combination of a supply reservoir open to the atmosphere and located below the bottles to be filled, liquid delivery tubes, connections between the same and the supply reservoir, an overflow receptacle, an air suction pipe leading therefrom having branches extending. to the lower ends of the respective delivery tubes and adj acent thereto, said delivery tubes being adapted to make an air tight connection with the bottles to start the flow of liquid, the flow of liquid being interrupted by the removal of the bottles.

47. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a downwardly extending liquid nozzle and air nozzle arrangedconcentric therewith capable of filling a bottle in an upright position, pipes leading to them, both of said air and liquid nozzles and the pipes leading to them being permanently open through their entire length and a supply tank therefor located below the receptacle being filled.

48. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a platen, a continually open bottle filling device placed over the platen, means for raising the platen to bring a bottle placed thereon in connection with said bottle filling device, a belt adjacent to said platen, means for transferring a bottle to the platen from a continous row of bottles on the belt means i for keeping the inside of the bottle below atvice, asupply tank located below the bottles and connections between the supply tank and the bottle filling device.

50. In a bottle filling machine, the com bination of downwardly extending means continually open, operating to fill bottles by producing a vacuum in the bottles to be filled, said means preventing the flow of liquid into the bottle unless a vacuum is produced in the bottle and operating to draw from the bottle all liquid fed into it beyond a predetermined height, and means for trapping and saving the excess liquid.

51. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of downwardly extending means continually open, operating to fill bottles by producing va vacuum in the bottles to be filled, said means preventing the flow of liquid into the bottle unless a vacuum is produced in the bottle and operating to draw from the bottle all liquid fed into it beyond a predetermined height, means for trapping and saving the excess liquid and a supply tank below the filling devices from which the liquid is drawn into the bottles from the supply tank.

52. In an apparatus for filling bottles. the combination of a supply reservoir, delivery tubes with nozzles at the ends thereof, connec tions between the same and the supply reservoir, an overflow receptacle, a pipe leading therefrom having branches with nozzles extending to the lower ends of the nozzles of the respective delivery tubes and adjacent thereto, the bottles and said nozzles being movable relative to each other to bring the end of a pair of said nozzles into the mouth of each bottle, means for exhausting the air from the overflow receptacle and creating a vacuum in said branches, bottles, delivery tubes and connections therefrom to the supply reservoir, whereby the filling material is drawn into the bottles by suction and any surplus is drawn from the delivery tubes into said branches and conveyed directly to the overflow receptacle.

53. In an apparatus for filling bottles, the combination of a supply reservoir, delivery tubes with nozzles at the ends thereof, connections between the same and the supply reservoir, an overflow receptacle, a pipe leading therefrom having branches with nozzles extending to the lower ends of the nozzles in the respective delivery tubes and adjacent thereto, the bottles and said nozzles beingmovable relative to each other to bring the end of a pair of said nozzles into the mouth of each bottle, means for exhausting the air from the overflow receptacle and creating a vacuum in said branches, bottles, delivery tubes and connections therefrom to the supply reservoir, whereby the filling material is drawn into the bottles by suction and any surplus is drawn from the delivery tubes into said branches and conveyed directly to the overflow receptacle, and means for removing the excess liquid from the overflow receptacle. 54. Inan apparatus for filling bottles, the combination of a supply reservoir, delivery tubes, connections between the same and the supply reservoir, an overflow receptacle, a pipe leading therefrom having branches exgending to the lower ends of the respective elivery tubes and adjacent thereto, said delivery tubes being adapted to be inserted into the bottles to be filled, means for exhausting the air from the overflow receptacle and creating a vacuum in the branches of said pipe, bottles, delivery tubes and connections therefrom to the supply reservoir whereby the filling material is drawn into the bottles by suction and any surplus material drawn into the bottles is conveyed directly to the overflow receptacle.

55. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of a block, air and liquid passages in said block, stationary and permanently open nozzles extending down from said passages, and a centering device carried by said block and concentric with said nozzles, said centering device being adapted to act on the sloping neck of a bottle to move it laterally.

56. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of downwardly extending continuously open means for filling bottles by producing a vacuum in the bottles, said means preventing the flow of liquid into the bottles unless a vacuum is produced in the bottles, said means drawing from the bottles all liquid fed into the bottles beyond a predetermined height, means for trapping and saving the excess liquid.

57. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of downwardly extending continually open ineans for filling bottles by producing a vacuum in the bottles, said means preventingthe flow of liquid into the bottles unless a vacuum is produced in the bottles,

a supply tank located below the bottles being filled, said means drawing the liquid from the supply tank into bottles, and means for trapping and saving all liquid drawn-into the bottles beyond a predetermined height.

58. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of downwardly extending continually open means for filling bottles by producing a vacuum in the bottles, said means preventing the flow of liquid into the bottles unless a vacuum is produced in the bottles, a supply tank located below the bottles filled, said means drawing the liquid from the supply tank into the bottles and any surplus material drawninto the bottles beyond a predetermined height is conveyed directly to the overflow receptacle.

59. In an apparatus for filling bottles, the combination of a supply reservoir, delivery tubes, tubular connections between the same and the supply reservoir, an overflow receptacle, a pipe leading" therefrom having branches extending to the lower ends of the respective delivery tubes andadj acent thereto, a support for the bottles, means for raising said support and thereby bringingthe end of one of said delivery tubes and one of said branches into the mouth of each bottle,

means for exhausting the air from the over-- flow receptacle and creating a vacuum in said branches,bottles, delivery tubes and connections therefrom to the supply reservoir, whereby the filling material is drawninto the bottles by suction and any surplus drawn from the delivery tube-s into said branches and conveyed directly to the overflow rece'ptacle, said supports for the bottles and the ends of the delivery tubes being adjustable relative to each other;

60. In a bottle filling machine, the combination of continuously open means operat= ing to fill bottles in an upright position b producing a vacuum in the bottles to be fil'le said means operating to draw from the bottles all liquid fed into it beyond a predetermined height, means for trapping and saving the excess liquid, and means for removingthe excess liquid from the trap.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

' ALPHQN-SE GOSSELIN, 

